Suction cleaner



April 1, 1947. D. G. SMELLIE sucnon CLEANER Filed April 8, 1943 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- Dona'ld 6.6mellie BY 6 fl77 April 1, 1947- D.G. SMELL IE SUCTION CLEANER Filed April 8, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. 'Donahi 6.8mell'x'e April 1,1947. D. s. SMELL-IE SUCTIONCLEANER Filed April 8, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 55 f INVENTOR. Donald6.8mellie Patented Apr. 1, 19417" SUCTION CLEANER Donald G; Smellie,Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application April 8, 1943, Serial No. 482,231

' 8 Claims. (Cl. 229 -53) The present invention relates to suctioncleaners in general and more particularly to dirt-filtering bags forsuction cleaners.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improveddirt-filtering bag for a suction cleaner. A further object is to providea dirtfiltering bag having an inlet opening formed in pleats. joinedtogether and reinforced interiorly and exteriorly to span the creases ofthe adjacent pleats. Another object is to provide a dirtfiltering' baghaving a pleated inlet opening cut normal, to and at an angle to thelongitudinal axis of the bag for connection to the cleaner body. Afurther object is to provide a method of making the dirt-filtering bag.Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in thefollowing specification and drawings; wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away of one-embodiment ofthe invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view ofthe pleats forming the bag mouth priorto securing certain of the pleats together;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the method of attaching areinforcing member to the pleated bag mouth;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the completed bag mouth'prior to beingcollapsed for storage;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bag collapsed for storage;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the bag having'its mouth formed into acircle for attachment to the cleaner body; I

Figure 7 is a side elevation with parts broken away of anotherembodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the bag material having its pleatssecured together and in a collapsed position;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the pleats arranged at 90 degrees tothat shown in Figure 8 and showing the method of making an angular,

cut to provide an angular marginal edge at the entrance to the bagmouth;

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the method of attaching areinforcing member to the angularly shaped pleated bag mouth;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the com-- by a suction air passagewayll with a fan chamber l8 communicating with an unshown exhaustpassageway which conveys dirt-laden air to a bag l9. A housing -ismounted on the a shaft which supports'- a fan 2| in the fan chamber l8and provided on the fan is a belt pulley 22 in the suction airpassageway H. An

agitator 24 is rotatablymounted in the nozzle l6 and is driven by a belt25 extending to the pulley 22. The cleaner body is is supported onwheels 26 and is propelled over the surface to be cleaned by a handle 21the cleaner body.

A bag adaptor 30 is pivotally mounted on a bag ring 3| removablyattached to-the rear end of the cleaner body l5 and has a tubular member32 connected at one end to the cleaner body exhaust passageway by aflexible bellows 33, and the opposite end of the tubular member 32receivesthe bag mouth 34 of the bag l9. The bag mouth 34 is securedtothe'tubular member 32 by a band 35 exterior of the bag mouth and isactuated by a lever 36 for removably clamping 30 by the handle 21.

The bag l9 may be formed of dust-filtering I material such as paper orother suitable material and is provided with pleats designated by thenumerals to 41, inclusive, and walls 48 and 49. The pleats extend fromthe bag mouth 34 longitudinally of the bag to an unshown open- .ing atthe top of the bag, and the top opening may be closed by a suitableunshown removable clamp for emptying the dirt from the bag.

The cross-sectional area of the bag mouth is determined by gluing pleats40 and 44 to the bag wall 49, pleat 44 to pleat 45, pleat 40 to pleat4|, pleat 46 to pleat 41, pleat 42 to pleat 43, and pleats 41 and 43 tothe bag wall 48, whereby the interior surfaces ofthe pleats 45, 46 and4|, 42 are the only portions of the pleats which are not joinedtogether. The area of the pleats which are joined togetherlongitudinally so of the bag is indicated by the shaded portion 50 inFigure 2 to thereby constrict thelower end of the bag, whereby whenthelatter is inflated the pleats beyond the constricted mouth will unfoldto provide the necessary bag wall area to filter out the dirt dischargedby the fan into body l5 and encloses an unshown motor having I pivotallymounted on 3 the bag l8, and the inflated bag will be supported by theouter bag 31,

The mouth of the bag is provided with a reinforcing member 5| which hasa tubular valve 62 extending within the bag Ill-and a collar 53 formedin four sections 54 which are positioned at the extreme edge of the bagmouth and folded extend over the exterior surface of the bag.

In order to mount the reinforcing member 3| on the bag mouth, the valve52 is placed on a square mandrel 80, as shown in Figure 3, so that theslots 55 between the collar sections 54 are along the longitudinal edg 59|. of the mandrel 90, and the collar sections 5 and the valve 52 areprovided with .an adhesive such as glue. The

' pleated bag mouth 34 is arranged on the mandrel v 90 so that theadjacent creases 92 of the pleats at the interior of the mouth and thecreases 93 of the pleats at the exterior of the m'outhare positionedalong the flat sides of the mandrel 90.

The bag mouth 34 is then moved forwardly on the mandrel 98 with thecollar sections 54 along extending inwardly of the bag 60 and a collar82 formed in four sections 83 which are arranged at the extreme end ofthe bag mouth and are folded to extend over the exterior surfaces of thebag mouth. The lower end of the valve 8| adjacent the collar 82 iscontoured complementary to the angular shaped bag mouth Bl.

In order to attach the bag mouth 8| to the reinforcing member 80, thelatter is placed on a square mandrel 84 so that the marginal edge of thevalve 8| lies flush with the inclined face 85 of the mandrel 84, asshown in Figure 10. The bag mouth 6| is then placed on the mandrel 84and moved forwardly to exteriorly telescope the valve 3| until themarginal edge of the bag mouth is flush with the inclined face 85 of themandrel.

Thereafter, the collar sections 83 are folded over the fiat sides of themandrel, the collar 53 and the valve 52 span the adjacent creases of thefolds interiorly and exteriorly of the bag mouth to thereby protect andreinforce the same.

Thereafter the bag is removed from the mandrel Stand folded as indicatedin Figure 5 for storage and shipping, and when so folded the adjacentcreases 92 of the pleats are disposed in the fiat portion of the bag andthe creases 93 at the longitudinal-corners of the bag. When it isdesired to use thebag, pressure is exerted on the longitudinal corners59 to thereby form the bag mouth substantially circular as shown inFigure6 for attachment to the tubular member ing material and has anangularly shaped bag mouth 6| whichis removably attached to a bagadaptor 62 similar to that previously described with the exception thatthe band 63 is contoured toclamp the anguiarly shaped bag mouth 6| tothe adaptor 62.

The bag material 65 is formed in pleats longitudinally of the bag in thesame manner dematerial is collapsed to the flat condition as shown inFigure 8. Pressure is then applied to the opposite corners 6B of thepleats (to re-arrange the pleats to the position shown in Figure 9. Theangularly shaped bag mouth 6| is formed scribed in the first embodiment,and the bag v by cutting away a portion 61 of the bag material inclinededges 16 of the bag mouth.

The mouth of the bag-is provided with a reinforcing member 80 having atubular valve 8| the exterior of the bag and glued thereto, whereby the'collar sections 83 span the adjacent creases 86 of the exterior foldsand the valve 8| spans the adjacent creases 8 1 of the interior folds asshown in Figure 11. The bag may then be folded as shown in Figure 12 forstorage and shipping. 1 M

In assembling the bag on the adapter 62, the

projecting straight edge 14 of the bag mouth 8| initially contacts theadaptor and guides the bag mouth thereon and aids in forming the bagmouth into an annulus to telescope the, adaptor 62, and the bag isretained in proper position on the adaptor by the band 63.

I claim:

1. A paper dirt-filtering bag for suction cleaners, said bag havinglongitudinal pleats,'certain of said pleats being joined together andothers pleats.

2. A bag having its material formed into a rnouth for said bag, said bagmouth having its marginal edge formed by a projecting portion, anotherportionof said marginal edge offset rearwardly from said projectingportion, said portions extending normal to the longitudinal axis of saidbag, and said-bag mouth having a portion of said marginal edge inclinedto the longitudinal axis of said bag and extending between saidprojecting and rearwardly ofiset'portions.

3. A bag having its material pleated to form a bag mouth, said pleatedbag mouth having a portion of its marginal edge normal to thelongitudinal axis of said bag, and another portion of saidmarginal edgeinclined to the longitudinal axis of said bag, and a member formedcomplementary to said portions of said marginal edge of said bag mouthfor spanning the adjacent creases of said pleats to hold the latter inpleated position at said bag mouth.

4. A distensible tube having a plurality of folds in its material toform a mouth for said tube,

some of the material forming said folds being attached together andother material forming other of said folds being unattached forseparation when said tube is distended, said tube being so constructedand arranged that when distended said unattached material separates toform an open mouth.

5. A distensible tube having a plurality of folds in its material toform a mouth for said tube, some of the material forming said foldsbeing attached together and other material forming other of said foldsbeing unattached for separation to form an interior wall for said mouthwhen said tube is distended, said tube being so constructed and arrangedthat when distended said unattached material separates to form an openmouth. A Y t 6. A distensible tube having its material folded into aplurality of pleats to form a mouth for said tube, said pleats havingtheir creases disposed interiorly and exteriorly of said mouth. some ofthepleated material being attached together and other of said materialbeing unattached for separation when said tube is distended to open saidmonth, said tube being so constructed and arranged that when distendedsaid unattached material separates to form an open mouth.

7. A dirt filtering bag for suction cleaners, said bag having aplurality of folds to form a bag mouth, some of the material formingsaid folds beingattached together and other material forming said foldsbeing unattached, said attached and unattached material of said foldsdefining the .bag mouth.

8. A bag adapted for connection to a suction cleaner body, andcomprising a bag having a i0 longitudinal axis of said bag, said normaledge being adapted for initial contact with the cleaner body to guidethe inclined marginal edge of said folded bag mouth onto the suctioncleaner body,

DONALD G. SMELLIE.

nnrnnnncn s crrEn The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNI'I'ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,128,374 Midulla Aug. 30, 19382,331,536 Cerf et a1 Oct. 12, 1943 2,221,617 Steen Nov. 12, 1940 252,259,752 Kimple Oct. 21, 1941 2,234,065 Vogt Mar. 4, 1941 1,174,552Dubois et al Mar. 7, 1916 198,218 Sawyer Dec. 18, 1877 1,171,431 Gorton1 Feb. 15, 1916 Hanlon Oct. 22 1929

